Package arranging equipment



March 22, 1966 H. c. JOHNSON PACKAGE ARRANGING EQUIPMENT Original Filed Sept. 11, 1962 INVENTOR.

A 7' TOFPNE ya United States Patent 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-6) This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 222,827, entitled Package Arranging Equipment, filed September 11, 1962.

This invention relates to equipment for arranging packages into convenient groups for purposes of storage and handling and is especially concerned with the provision of apparatus for forming stacks of layers or bundles which consist of generally rectangular packages of the same dimensions. The preferred embodiment discussed herein is particularly useful in performing these operations on wrapped bundles or packages of roofing shingles, and although the disclosure herein will be directed to a machine especially designed for this purpose, it should be understood that the invention is useful in handling a great variety of other types of bundles and packages.

The terms bundle and package are used herein to represent typical examples of the varied items which may usefully be handled by the apparatus of this invention, and the use of these terms is not intended to connote a limitation of the utility to items which are, strictly speaking, bundles or packages because the features of the invention may be useful with many different types of items.

It is common in modern warehousing and shipping practice to arrange a number of individual packages in stacks which are often located on pallets. The pallets in turn may easily be shifted from place to place in the course of warehousing and shipping by means of fork lift trucks. Experience has shown that in order to form stable stacks on pallets which will survive handling by means of fork lift trucks or other warehouse equipment, it is necessary to take some care in arranging the individual packages and layers of packages forming the stacks. Certain ways of arranging the packages or bundles in the stack may have been devised to impart stability thereto. However, these patterns of arrangement are relatively complex and heretofore it has been necessary to employ much hand labor and close supervision in the operation of forming warehouse stacks.

Among the important objects of this invention is the provision of equipment which mechanizes the operation of assembling layers of packages into a stable stack, either on a pallet or elsewhere. Great saving of labor and expense is thus effected.

Another object of the invention is the provision of equipment for forming stacks of packages having improved stability and compactness.

A further object of the invention is the provision of mechanized bundle stacking equipment having an automatic control system which programs the operation of the equipment.

The above objects and purposes together with others may be more fully understood by consideration of the detailed description which follows together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a more or less diagrammatic side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of my equipment showing the apparatus which places the individual layers of bundles in the stacking position;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the same equipment at another stage in its cycle of operation;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a simplified control diagram illustrating a control system for the apparatus shown in the other figures; and

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of a stack positioned on a pallet showing one possible arrangement of packages or bundles forming the stack.

Equipment for arranging individual packages or bundles into layers of specific pre-selected patterns is fully disclosed and claimed in my copending parent application, Serial No. 222,827. The end product of the patterning equipment is a series of patterned layers of bundles. These layers are serially presented at intervals by the patterning equipment to the improved stacking apparatus which is the subject matter of this application.

The stack of packages forming the end product of the stacking apparatus of this invention is illustrated in FIG- URE 5 which shows a form of stack positioned on a pallet which has been found to be satisfactorily stable during handling. The pallet is indicated at and the forks 121 of a lift truck are shown positioned to lift the pallet. This type of pallet is provided with slots 12B near the top so that the forks 121 of the lift truck may be inserted into them underneath the stack. In this way, a lift truck may pick up and handle either the pallet with the stack thereon or the stack alone Without the pallet. A pallet of this kind is sometimes referred to as a take it or leave it pallet for reasons which are apparent and the stack of FIGURE 5 is especially arranged for use with such a pallet. It should be noted that the bottom layer 122 consists of four bundles arranged side by side with their longitudinal axes running across the pallet. This provides a stable bottom surface to the stack when the lift forks lift the stack away from the pallet. The succeeding layers of the stack are made up of four bundles,

three of which are positioned side by side with their long axes running lengthwise of the pallet, and the fourth of which is positioned perpendicular to the other three bundles. The top layer 123 has its perpendicular bundle at the front side of the stack and the next to top layer 124 has its perpendicular bundle positioned at the back of the stack. From FIGURE 5 it can be seen that layers like 123 and 124 alternate throughout the stack except for the bottom layer which has a different arrangement for reasons discussed above. The system of stack construction shown in FIGURE 5 forms an extraordinarily stable stack because of the interlocking arrangement of bundles.

The following general outline of the equipment of this invention is given for purposes of orientation before the detailed description. Pattern layers are delivered to the stacking equipment of FIGURE 1 from the patterning equipment shown in the parent application by means of transfer conveyor 42. The transfer conveyor 42 receives completed layers of bundles arranged in a specific pattern from the patterning equipment. The layer is transported to the left in FIGURE 1 by the conveyor 42 and deposited on the shuttle cart designated generally at 43 when said cart is at the right hand end of its reciprocating path of travel on the rails 44. (In FIGURE 2 the cart 43 is almost at its right hand limiting position.) The layer of bundles, having been placed on the shuttle cart 43, in the manner just described, the cart is moved to the left as shown in FIGURE 1. At the same time, the cart conveyor 45 moves the layer across the top of the cart and onto the depositing ramp 46 of the cart. The layer slides to the left off of the ramp 46 and onto a pallet 47 positioned at the stacking station designated generally at 48. As the layer slides off the ramp 46 the shuttle cart is moved to the right in FIGURE 1, thus withdrawing the ramp portion of the cart from under the layer. In FIGURE 1 one bundle B2 of a layer has been deposited on the pallet, and the three remaining bundles designated collectively as B3 are in the process of being so deposited.

3 FIGURE 2 shows the layer consisting of the bundles 13-2 and B3 in position on the pallet 47.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the final step in the positioning of a layer at the stacking station. After the shuttle cart 43 has been moved to its right hand limiting position, as shown by the dotted lines 49, it is moved once again to the left for a short distance to the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 2. In this movement the roller 50 at the end of the ramp 46 hits the layer on the pallet to jog it and thus restore the compact condition of the layer which may have been disturbed somewhat in the operation of depositing the layer on the pallet.

Stacking apparatus of the general character under consideration here is shown in my copending application Serial No. 82,893, filed January 16, 1961, now Patent No. 3,176,858, and assigned to the same assignee. In some respects the present invention may be regarded as an improvement upon the invention of my prior application, although the advantages of the present invention may also be utilized in connection with stacking equipment of a design other than that disclosed in the earlier application. Some of the features of the equipment illustrated in application Serial No. 82,893 may be utilized to advantage in the equipment of this invention.

The stack is formed and assembled at the stacking station designated generally at 48 and the station is provided with a bundle blocking Wall 115. In most instances a pallet 47 will be positioned on the stacking station. However, 'under certain circumstances it may be desirable to form the stack directly on the surface of the station. As can be seen in FIGURES 1 and 3, this surface is established by the series of rollers 110.

Transfer conveyor 42 is desirably equipped with a belt 105 which is substantially the full width of the conveyor. The belt is supported by rollers 106 and is driven by a motor (not shown).

The shuttle cart is mounted on a base 111. As shown in my copending application referred to above, this base may desirably be equipped with elevating mechanism to raise the shuttle cart and the left hand end of the conveyor 42 upwardly to provide for deposition of successive layers on the stack. Alternatively, rollers 110 of the stacking station may be mounted on elevating mechanism so that the surface of the stacking station may be lowered as successive layers are placed on the stack. In either event, suitable control equipment can be provided for directing the raising of the shuttle cart or the lowering of the floor of the stacking station. The shuttle cart 43 is mounted for reciprocating motion on the fixed rails 44 and the moving rails 112. The cart is provided with a belt type conveyor 45 supported by rollers 113 and powered by motor M-7. Under normal operating conditions this conveyor is continuously operating. At the left hand side of the cart is a depositing ramp 46 having a surface of rollers 114. Two control switches are provided for directing the operation of the shuttle cart. One of these LS6 is located on the cart proper with its operator yieldingly protruding into the path of a layer moving across the cart. LS-7, the other control switch, is mounted on the end of conveyor 42 with its operator yieldingly protruding into the path of reciprocation of the cart (see FIG- URE 2). The cart is reciprocated by a compressed air cylinder and piston mounted on the base 111, but which are not shown. The solenoid operated valve V- controls the operation of this power means.

In a typical stacking operation in which a layer is deposited at the stacking station on a pallet, the shuttle cart 43 is initially positioned at its right hand limiting position. The conveyor 42 passes a layer onto the shuttle cart and the cart conveyor 45 begins to move the layer to the left in FIGURE 1. As it does so, the cart is moved to the left and the layer slides down the ramp 46 onto the pallet. Following this the cart is moved to the right withdrawing the ramp from under the layer. The cart after reaching the right hand limiting position is then moved a short distance to the left as shown in FIGURE 2 to jog the layer on the pallet by hitting it with the end of the ramp 46. This step is desirably effected because the bundles forming the layer on the pallet often become slightly disarranged in the course of being deposited thereon.

FIGURE 4 shows control equipment for the shuttle cart of the stacking mechanism. The motor which operates the belt conveyor on the shuttle cart is wired for continuous operation under normal conditions. Control switch LS6 is mounted on the shuttle cart as shown in FIGURE 1 in a position to be operated by a layer on the conveyor of the cart. It will be remembered that the shuttle cart is at this right hand limiting position when it receives a layer from the transfer conveyor 42. Operation of LS-6 starts timer TMZ, and contact TMCZ closes when timer TMZ begins to operate. Closure of contact TMCZ energizes the solenoid of valve V-5 which causes the compressed air cylinder and piston and its piston rod to move the shuttle cart to the left toward the stacking station. When timer TM2 times out, contact TMC2 is opened, and the solenoid of valve V-S is deenergized. This causes the cylinder and its piston to move the shuttle cart back to the right, and, as has been explained before, the layer on the shuttle cart is deposited on the stacking station in this movement.

When the shuttle cart arrives at its right hand limiting position, impulse switch LS-7 is closed. Timer contact TMC4 is in its normally closed position and therefore operation of switch LS-7 starts timer TM-3. When TM3 starts, it closes contact TMC3a which energizes the solenoid of V-S once again to move the cart to the left. At the same time, timer TM-3 closes contact TMC3I) to initiate operation of timer TM4. When timer TM-4 starts, it opens contact TMC4.

f Timer TM4 has a time setting which is at least as great as the time required for the shuttle cart to return from its jogging stroke to its right hand limiting position. Timer TM-3 times out and opens contact TMCBa and TMC3b. Opening of the former contact deenergizes the solenoid V-5 and the shuttle cart moves to the right after completion of its jogging stroke which is shown in FIGURE 2. The cart will operate LS7 as it did before but timer TM-3 is not reset by this operation because timer TM4 is holding contact TMC4 open. Timer TM4 then times out and contact TMC4 is closed once again. In this way the cart and the control equipment have been returned to their starting positions and the apparatus is ready to receive another layer from conveyor 42.

Persons skilled in the art may easily determine the optimum timer settings for timers TM2, TM3 and TM4 by simple experiments with the particular bundles which are being handled.

The equipment described herein thus provides for completely automatic construction of warehouse stacks in an eflicient and reliable manner.

I claim:

1. Bundle stacking apparatus comprising a station providing a plane upon which to stack layers comprising a plurality of bundles, a shuttle cart mounted for reciprocation toward and away from said stacking station, said cart being provided with a conveyor and a deposition ramp, said ramp extending toward said station and sloping downwardly toward it to a point less than the thickness of a layer above said plane, a transfer conveyor positioned adjacent said shuttle cart for delivering layers thereto, power means for reciprocating said cart, a first sensing element positioned to sense the presence of a layer on said cart, a second sensing element positioned to sense the presence of the cart at the limit of its reciprocation away from the stacking station, and control mechanism interconnected between said sensing elements and said power means for operating the latter to move said cart in a layer depositing stroke toward and away from said stacking station when the presence of a layer is sensed on said cart and for operating the power means to move said cart in a layer jogging stroke toward and away from said station when said cart has completed its layer depositing stroke.

2. Bundle stacking apparatus comprising a station providing a plane upon which to stack layers comprising a plurality of bundles, a shuttle cart mounted for reciprocation toward and away from said stacking station, said cart being provided with a conveyor and a deposition ramp, said ramp extending toward said station and sloping downwardly toward it to a point less than the thickness of a layer above said plane, a transfer conveyor positioned adjacent said shuttle cart for delivering layers thereto from the side away from said stacking station, power means for reciprocating said cart, a first sensing element on said car-t positioned to sense the presence of a layer thereon, a second sensing element positioned to sense the presence of the cart at the limit of its reciprocation away from the stacking station, and control mechanism interconnected between said sensing elements and said power means for operating the latter to move said cart in a layer depositing stroke toward and away from said stacking station when the presence of a layer is sensed on said cart and for operating the power means to move said cart in a layer jogging stroke toward and away from said station when said cart has completed its layer depositing stroke.

3. Bundle stacking apparatus comprising a station providing a plane upon which to stack layers comprising a plurality of bundles, a shuttle cart mounted for reciprocation toward and away from said stacking station, said cart being provided with a conveyor and a deposition ramp, said ramp extending toward said station and sloping downwardly toward it to a point less than the thickness of a layer above said plane, power means for reciprocating said cart, a first sensing element positioned to sense the presence of a layer on said cart, a second sensing element :positioned to sense the presence of the cart at the limit of its reciprocation away from the stacking station, and control mechanism interconnected between said sensing elements and said power means for operating the latter to move said cart in a layer depositing stroke toward and away from said stacking station when the presence of a layer is sensed on said cart and for operating the power means to move said cart in a layer jogging stroke toward and away from said station when said cart has completed its layer deposit-ing stroke.

No references cited.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. 

1. BUNDLE STACKING APPARATUS COMPRISING A STATION PROVIDING A PLANE UPON WHICH TO STACK LAYERS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BUNDLES, A SHUTTLE CART MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATION TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID STACKING STATION, SAID CART BEING PROVIDED WITH A CONVEYOR AND A DEPOSITION RAMP, SAID RAMP EXTENDING TOWARD SAID STATION AND SLOPING DOWNWARDLY TOWARD IT TO A POINT LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF A LAYER ABOVE SAID PLANE, A TRANSFER CONVEYOR POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID SHUTTLE CART FOR DELIVERING LAYERS THERETO, POWER MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID CART, A FIRST SENSING ELEMENT POSITIONED TO SENSE THE PRESENCE OF A LAYER ON SAID CART, A SECOND SENSING ELEMENT POSITIONED TO SENSE THE PRESENCE OF THE CART AT THE LIMIT OF ITS RECIPROCATION AWAY FROM THE STACKING STATION, AND CONTROL MECHANISM INTERCONNECTED BETWEEN SAID SENSING ELEMENTS AND SAID POWER MEANS FOR OPERATING THE LATTER TO MOVE SAID CART IN A LAYER DEPOSITING STROKE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID STACKING STATION WHEN THE PRESENCE OF A LAYER IS SENSED ON SAID CART AND FOR OPERATING THE POWER MEANS TO MOVE SAID CART IN A LAYER JOGGING STROKE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID STATION WHEN SAID CART HAS COMPLETED ITS LAYER DEPOSITING STROKE. 